Measuring and transmitting device for flow velocities and the like



Feb. 23, 1954 G WUENSCH ET AL 2,670,464

MEASURING AND TRANSMITTING DEVICE FOR FLOW VELOCITIES AND THE LIKE Filed 0G12. 17, 1950 )j i) diff.

Patented Feb. 23, 1954 MEASURING AND TRANSMITTING DEVICE FOR FLOW VELOCITIES AND THE LIKE Guido Wnsch and Horst Ziegler, Berlin, Germany; said Wnsch assignor to Askania-Werke A.Gr., a corporation of Germany Application October 17, 1950, Serial No. 190,453

Claims priority, application Germany October 29, 1949 3 Claims. l

This invention relates to the measurement of fluid flows and the like. It relates particularly to a measuring device which 'is capable of electrically transmitting the measurement to a remote receiver. Such transmission facilitates the utilization of the measurement, which may consist in indicating or recording or integrating the measurement or in deriving a response therefrom forthe control of the measured condition or of other conditions or operations. Still more specifically the invention relates to a self-compensating measuring andA` transmitting device, that is, a device wherein the measured force acts upon a sensitive lever and wherein the electric current obtained is not only transmitted to remote points but also used to compensate or counterbalance the lever moment of the measured force.

Heretofore such compensating lever instruments have been built which were sensitive and accurate but incapable of transmitting a current of appreciable energy except with the use of compllcated,r delicate and expensive ampliers. On the' other hand there have been compensating lever instruments which transmitted powerful currents, by direct action, but they were limited in application since they required high-powered measuring impulses.

The present instrument provides a novel transformation of impulse energies. The original measuring impulse, which may be extremely feeble at least part of the time, controls an intermediate fluid agency, which in turn controls an electric impulse the strength of which lies in a vproper range for transmission to remote re- 'ceivers The preferred intermediate fluid agency is a flow of air, usually at pressures of a few integral ounces per square inch. Such a flow can be con- Vthe electric device directly controlled by the fluid pressure, as shown in copending application S. N.

`v190,451, flied october 17, 195o.

A time lag is inherent in-every form'of energy storage" in a fluid medium or yequivalent thereof. Hetofora when the pneumatic method was used for the transmission of measurements this time lag constituted one of the most serious limitations of the method. In the present case the situation is different. The pneumatic method is used only for extremely short-ranged transmission, within a small instrument; it serves as a transformer rather than as a transmitter. Therefore it involves no appreciable friction loss due to length of transmission line; it requires no excess pressure to minimize such loss, and employs pressure at much lower levels than are used in typical transmitters. At such levels the time lag is minute, like that required in any event for the dampening of oscillations in mechanical leverage and the like.

By means of this novel impulse transformation it is possible to safely and economically obtain electric impulses suitable for transmission from a sealed instrument which requires no service. This instrument might be compared with a telephone transmitter, With regard to its operating principle and its combined accuracy and reliability.

The nature and advantages of the new instrument will be more readily understood when the detailed description and illustration of a basic embodiment has been studied. Such an embodiment is illustrated in the drawing appended hereto, which shows the device in a schematic, cross-sectional elevation.

A gas conduit l has an orice 2 interposed thereon. PiezometricFducts 3 and 4, preferably as short as possible, connect portions of conduit I, upstream and downstream of the orice respectively, with separate gas-filled spaces on the two sides of a flexible diaphragm 5 in a closed pressure chamber or housing 6.

This housing also provides on its inside a bearing l for a main lever 8. The lever is actuated by the diaphragm 5 through linkage 9 which preferably includes a long, .adjustable link 9-A. In order to compensate the forces transmitted by the linkage the main lever 8 carries the movable coil I!! of an electro-dynamic system. The stationary, soft magnetic core Il of this system projects partly into the movable coil I 0.

A damping or dash-pot device, such as a bellows I2 secured to the inside wall of housing E, has its free end connected with the lever 8. The inside of the bellows communicates with the surrounding part of housing 6 through small openings I3. It is well known to use such a device to suppress undesirable overtravel of a measuring lever, which might be caused for instance by momentary surges in the gas line, or by the operation of an off-on switch (not shown) in the circuit of coil III. In the present instrument the dash-pot I2 serves additionally, or exclusively, to compensate for a slight time laginherent in the intermediate,'pneumatic transmission, as will be seen presently.

In order to regulate the intermediate force between the original impulse of diaphragm 5 and the circuit for the electric transmitting and1compensating system, we install a permanentmagnet I4 on the main lever 8 in chamber B. Opposite this magnet we provide a follower 'It-A of softor hard magnetic material, located in a closed chamber G-A lled with air and separated from the gas-lled chamber 6. Within" the airchamber S-A We provide a bearing I5 for a secondary lever IB, carrying the follower Ill-A at one end and a small vane II at the other. This vane plays in front of a receiver nozzle I8 in a 10W. pressure air line I9. It regulates the intermediate, pneu- :anatic nforce,-

-accordance with the principal .measurement Yat 5.

extremelyflovabut definite air pressure, such Las.' af-revvV `ounceswor .sometimes -fractional ounces pervsquarewinchpis generatedby a-compressor or 'blower :Z0-tin' chamber 5-A, shown `as and preferablyfconsisting in a'magnetiovibrator. Such a device, :ras known from. copending 'application :ing ;predetermined-.n phase :and :frequency Ycharacteristics: as usual; an electric magnet 2li-B in :this zcircuit; a: closedfhonsing 29-(3 'adjacent the rmagnet'. a resilient Ymagnetic, membrane 2li-'D in the housing, opposite the magnet; a small openfthe required amplification of the auxiliary force.

The' diaphragm :chamber: is ma'defat 'as maybe practical; rin :order: :to minimize fthe-volume to beii'llediup With air. andthe-time lag inherent therein. -..Such. air asis-deflected fromA nozzle -I8 by vane II remains vvithinl vthe closed chamber -5-.A. 1It-vvillA .ultimately fre-enterfthe vibrator vhousing `2 Il-C 'through;opening .2 IIeE and -be pro- .iected into ;the intake; 128i-F again, in v:repetitive cycles. 'f The systemgisisimple; for instance, no @purification vof .the circulating :air V is' usually re- .fquired Loss :as welleas pollution of the air -or other pneumatic medium-is prevented by keeping. the .airrzcompart-ment 6-A. closed Y and rhermeticallyqsealed eXcepttot-he nozzles I8, blower $.20 and airreceiver 2I-,A.

iDiaphragm* 2I,-by'.rleverage.22, applies pressure-.to a :compression carbon :rheos-tat oit-carbon pile. .23- for. the ultimatencontrolof the 4electric .ourrent'to beztransmitted. uA".Wfheatstone bridge isnformed, `havingcarbon'.rheostat 23 as variable resistor arm, inparallel'rwith a normally xed :resistor 213. 'Ihebridge' iseompleted by partial :coilsf25,r26 for-ming vtogetherfthe secondary Winding of a central-ly.-tappedftransformer 21 arectifier 28;beingfinterposedszbetween partial coils `25, 26.-. and resistors 23, i 24. .Y The diagonal of` the .4 ber 6. The coils I and 30 form an electrodynamic couple compensating the impulse of diaphragm 5. The ampere meter 29 can be located remotely from the otherparts.

v.".he ,lowerpart of the housing 5,below the measuring diaphragm 5, can be lled With oil, as shown. This Will aid in the dash-pot action of Yunit I2, and protect the coils I0, 30 from corro- :sionby .contact'withlgas ce 2. .and 'applied to" diaphragm 5. A high flow velocitytends to Aproduce a high diierential and to move diaphragm 5, link 9-A, main lever 8 .aboveubearing Tlc-and follower I6 below bearing I to the right,.to withdraw vane II from nozzle I8,'..thereby to increase the air pressure on dia- .bridgeiorms -thecontrol circuit. It has interposedr.f.thereon,. in yseriesfanY ampereV meter 29, ithefmovable -coil 1I 0,: .and a cooperating stationary. .ccil' .3 IL around ithe magnet'fcore l. i; inseriamphragm 2|, to move it to the right and through linkagefZZ to compress carbon pile 23. As such compression begins it reduces the resistance in the .variable :arm v`2 3 of i the' Wheatstone bridge '.2 3, t24,- 25, 2E, increases the density of -;current flowingsthrough Vthe indicator and compensator -I andproducesI .an increased-.compensating force--as'shovvn, a repulsion between coils r;Illra:nd

.38-,-.tendingto move lcoil .iii andthe lower. rpart loff-levers to'therig-ht. -When acertaincompression of the carbon pile 23-Ihassbeen'reachedthe repulsion between -coils YIt) .and llareestablishes .equilibriumfonthe main -lever 8.

In this-manner -each -velocityxin conduit Iriis made to-correspond withi-` a cert-ain .position of :main -lever 8 and foi.'ampere-metereindicator 29.

flIhe position ofv thefa-mpere-meter.canzfserve .as a,.direct.indication vofthe flow velocity incon- *duit' '-I. The force -of-e1ectromagnetic' repulsion between-coils -I G and'i) is proportional to the square ofthe current'density in the neutral-con- 'ductor 'offt-he bridge, just as't'he pressure difierential `at orifice 2v is proportional to the square -of .the flow velocity in conduit I #For the :fcalbration and adjustmentwofthe-indioator .29 We .may fuse Ythe mechanical ladjustmentfat S-.A oramariation of .--rl'ieosta-t:y 24,-or zbofth.

Each yelocity-.in-cond-uit Iseoi'responds Withia certain position of lever I6, vane -II and carbon .pile compressorf-linl age 22. '.I-IovJeVer, -it is'unnecessary to separately calibrate thesewpartspor -even .the main -lever .8. The v-iorces indicated :by .elements 5 and -29 arefself-compensating.

s. Dueto-the extremely low pressures used in the intermediate system lnone of thefparts of :this systemis .subject-to anygappreciable Wear :and tear. Delicate elements such as electric Contact .pointsoore electronic valve -tubesare eliminated. 'Even lthel hig-hestpressures ionv diaphragm 5, pro- .portional tothe square of the high -flow v elocity. Willereateronly light reactions in the pneumatic .land-electric systems. The range of auxiliary ,fair .pressures vcan beselected `with prime reference to the .requirements of the carbon pile `-23\fdi-re:tly controlled-thereby. Suitable carbonv piles or sys- --temsthereofcanbe selected which allovvrthe :use .oan air-pressure, generated .at 20,-in the. range ybetween a small-fraction of an Younce and about 8 or. l0 .ounces pery square inch.

Af-further advantage 4of the extremely Plow '.air pressures-isxthat practically no friction load is 'imposed-on vane Il, sothat even an exceedingly smallsimpulse `from diagraph 5, proportionalto the square of a veryV lowfractional ow velocity is -able'to 4start `the .operation .of the vane, Aas .required-.for -.com-pensation :and reestablished .equiflbrum. .fsscordinglyathe frangezof theinstrument is extremely wide. It is possible with very moderate cost to make the auxiliary system I4, Il-A, I1, 2I, 23 much more accurate than a recording, integrating or controlling receiver 29 can be.

It is true that the low pressure of the auxiliary pneumatic force requires amplification by a relatively large receiver diaphragm 2I, in order to yield a suiicient mechanical force for the complete compression of the carbon pile 23, at maximum ow velocity. No serious expense or difculty is usually involved in the use of such relatively large diaphragms.

There is a slight time lag between the original measuring impulse by diaphragm 5 and leverage 9 and the compensation thereof by magnets I0, 30. This is due to the fact that some time is required to vary the air pressure in chamber 2IA; for instance to iill this chamber with the required number of increments of air pressure, produced by vibrations of generator 20. The time lag is exceedingly small, since the total volume of the air space confined in duct I9 and chamber 2I-A is minute, and the succession of air waves generated at 26 is rapid. Nevertheless, since the original measuring impulse in some instances may be rapid, it is preferably dampened by the dash-pot I2, I3. In this manner the movable parts 8, I6, 22, 29 etc. are caused to assume new positions without objectionable fluctuations, whether the original impulses at 5 be sudden or gradual. Such dampening is usually desirable also for readability of the indicator 29, quite aside from inherent requirements of the auxiliary system 29, I8, 2IA.

A single embodiment has been described, but persons skilled in the art of instrumentation will understand, upon a study of the principles outlined, that the device can be varied in many respects.

The quantity measured or condition determined and remotely reected is not necessarily a differential pressure. It may be another type of pressure, a temperature or some other condition, either of a gas or of some other fluid or substance. The new instrument is particularly useful in instances where the range of forces to be measured is wide, and full accuracy is required throughout the range. Heretofore, attempts to utilize an auxiliary force have often limited the range of full accuracy. In the new instrument there is no such limitation. The only limitation on its range of application is that which is inherent in any given primary element such as diaphragm 5, which can be matched by the compensating elements I0, 39, and by the leverage and other cooperating parts.

Likewise, the ultimate receiver is not necessarily an ampere-meter or indicator with or without recording, integrating or controlling attachments. It may consist in any device directly or indirectly controllable by the electric current flowing in the circuit which includes the coils I0 and 30. In the embodiment shown the lever 8 has two arms. The electromagnet I0, II forms an electrodynamic system with coil 3B and `has its coil I0 secured to the lever, by a rigid correction thereto. The fluid circuit I8, I9, 20, 2 I uses stationary discharge and receiver nozzles I8 and a movable vane I1. The electric circuit I0, 29 is confulcrumed for shifting by the condition-respon-v sive device and for compensatory shifting by the electro-magnet; means forming an electric Wheatstone bridge circuit, with the coil of the electro-magnet in series with a remote receiver in the diagonal of the bridge; and means forming an auxiliary fluid circuit, comprising low pressure air-blower means to continuously maintain an air jet, a jet receiver nozzle opposite the jet, a vane movable by said lever to cut into the air jet in front of the jet receiver nozzle and thereby to direct variable portions of the low pressure of the air jet into the jet receiver nozzle, a low pressure diaphragm device connected with the jet receiver nozzle to be shifted by variable air pressures therein, and a compression rheostat in one arm of said Wheatstone bridge circuit, said compression rheostat being arranged for compression by the diaphragm device; whereby impulses in the condition-responsive device instantly produce corresponding shifts of the lever, vane, diaphragm device, compression rheostat, bridge circuit and electro-magnet, the electro-magnet rebalancing the lever and the remote receiver in series with the electro-magnet reflecting the impulses.

2. An instrument according to claim 1 additionally comprising a hermetically sealed air chamber containing the jet receiver nozzle and communicating with the low pressure air blower and with the diaphragm device; said lever being located outside the air 4chamber and said vane forming a second lever inside the air chamber and being operable in the plane of the first lever; a small permanent magnet mounted on one of the two levers; and a small magnetic body forming part of the other lever and being separated from the permanent magnet by a small gap across the wall of the air chamber.

3. An instrument according to claim 1 wherein the air blower is of the electric vibrator type.

GUIDO WNSCH. HORST ZIEGLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,638,101 Roucka Aug. 9, 1927 1,953,819 Payne Apr. 3, 1934 2,131,486 Spitzglass Sept. 27, 1938 2,319,363 Wunsch et al May 18, 1943 2,371,040 Fisher et al. Mar. 6, 1945 2,397,448 Todd Mar. 26, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 458,823 Great Britain' Dec. 28, 1936 813,987 Germany Sept. 17, 1951 

